DeKalb County residents will see an increase in their water bills starting with those going out this month.

The 11 percent increase that took effect Jan. 1 is the second year of a three-year plan to raise rates to pay for a $1.35 billion overhaul to the county’s aging water and sewer system. Rates increase by 11 percent again next year as part of that plan.

The increase translates into about $7.14 more a month for the average customer using 5,000 gallons of water monthly. Before the three-year rate hike, DeKalb water rates last increased in 2008, when they went up by 16 percent.

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Ceudy Gutierrez reads a book to her 2-year-old son, Matias, at their home in Buford, GA, on Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. Ceudy Gutierrez is struggling to make ends meet for herself and her three young kids following her husband’s ICE arrest earlier this fall. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez